A Little Late by Gordon Roll

We began our journey long ago,
Our homelands are but dreams,
We crossed the seas and rode the lands
But a little late it seems.

A little late, a little late,
Yet we follow that bright star
Through busy day and silent night,
And still we travelled far.

We met a king who feasted us
On sweetmeats, spice and date,
but in a dream a stranger said
"Move on, you are a little late".

And then there came the news
A thousand children slain,
They haunt us still from vale to hill
Those thousand cries of pain.

Through burning day and icy night
And always a little late,
Through town and village we hastened on
By horse and camel at fastest rate

Till suddenly like wave that froze
As it flew towards the shore
That guiding star stood still
And never moved more

A weak light burned within
As we moved towards the stable gate
With our humble gifts in our hands
And a few days late

But as I took my gift of Myrrh
I whispered a prayer to the child that lay
Praising him for the King he is
Begging to pardon our delay

When a distant bell rang out and filled
The space between the child and me
And a message came into my mind
And I on bended knee

"You may have been a little late,"
It said within my mind
"But you have seen the King of Kings,
The saviour of mankind."